The ad, featuring a new Jackson video showcasing his performances over the years, will debut at 9.30pm. He is the only artist to take over an entire ad break on ITV.

Jackson is returning to the stage for the first time in 12 years for 10 shows in July.

The 50-year-old held a press conference yesterday in London and arrived an hour and half late.

Tickets go on sale on 13 March, but the presale registration website, MichaelJacksonLive.com, is already struggling to cope after receiving 16,000 requests per second, according to a spokesman for AEG Live, which is promoting the concerts.